


Recognition

by Creatortan



Series: Red Tulips and Forget-Me-Nots [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Insecurity, a revali character study lmao, and revali feeling his heart stop cooperating with him, appreciation, mipha is v considerate, revali feels underappreciated, tbh this is like, the entire first half of this is revali complaining, with a side of mipha being lovely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 15:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11382654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creatortan/pseuds/Creatortan
Summary: Revali notices how the other Champions talk down to him. Revali doesn't ask for much! Sometimes he just wants some recognition! Something!Revali feels underappreciated, and Mipha takes notice.





	Recognition

Revali was used to being respected. As the finest warrior of all the Rito, he was held to a certain standard by his people, and as a Champion, he was held to an even greater standard by  _ all  _ people. He walked into a room and a hush would fall over the crowd. Warriors would be shocked into awestruck gazes, citizens would burst into tears, children had posters of him on their walls. 

Respect, however, was a little...iffy when around people on your same level. 

In the case of the other Champions, Revali was just a teammate, and that drastic shift in how he was treated took some getting used to. But, okay, that was fine. Revali could still fly when the wind changed. He could get used to his teammates not groveling at his feet for how  _ amazing  _ and  _ talented _ he is.

But it wouldn’t hurt once in awhile. C’mon. 

Okay. So  _ groveling  _ might’ve been pushing it, but Revali at the  _ very least  _ wanted to get _ some  _ recognition. Something! Maybe a “oh hey Revali it’s pretty cool you just beat your own fly time” or “that flip was really neat it must’ve taken hours practicing to master” or “you’re a good archer, Revali”. Just. Something.

No, instead he got “stop playing around, Revali” and “you’re in the way, Revali” and,  _ Hylia forbid  _ “Go fix your bow while we plan for this diplomatic mission, Revali.” Revali was not a  _ hatchling;  _ he was a  _ warrior.  _ He was a goddamned grown adult and he wanted to be treated like one. Believe it or not, Princess Zelda, but the Rito actually taught diplomacy! They kind of had to. With the whole...flying business it was kind of necessary to learn how to not offend people when you accidentally land in their backyard.

And, god, it was almost painful watching the others interact with one another. Compliments flow  _ so  _ freely when they’re not directed to  _ Revali.  _ Ugh. 

Don’t even get him started on the  _ stupid. Hylian. Brat.  _ A little heart-to-heart with the Princess and suddenly everyone was all over the blond bastard. With his stupid magic sword. Revali could acknowledge skill. Urbosa was clever and ruthless, Daruk was powerful, Mipha was quick and dexterous. Even Zelda, as young and untrained as she was, had the potential to be a formidable strategic leader. 

But the Hylian Champion? He was so _young._ He was nothing but brash recklessness and no care for his own life. But he hid it under brute self-discipline that was probably hammered into him since birth, so everyone thought him the pinnacle of Hyrule’s warriors. And they _encouraged_ him and _praised_ him for the most _menial_ things. Daruk complimented him on how quickly he caught hightail lizards. It was so....asinine. 

Revali was stewing in his thoughts, replaying the previous events to himself.

The Champions had just pulled off an incredibly risky mission. The shaky plan had fallen apart immediately, but above all odds they had managed to save it. They had gathered back at their camp, exhausted and a little drunk on the adrenaline. It was a celebration! They were all recalling their amazing feats. 

Revali was particularly proud of himself, in this instance. He’d taken down a whole group of Yiga bastards, on his own, with a half-broken bow, depleted quiver, and low ceilings. He was outnumbered and out of his element and yet he  _ still  _ managed to both outmaneuver the enemies  _ and  _ snatch up some important looking documents. (The documents weren’t all that helpful, just some banana records or something, but they  _ did  _ allude to another hideout in the Gerudo region. Zelda was already investigating.)

“Hey, Urbosa! The way you conked those two Yiga-dolts together: hilarious!”

“Well, you weren’t so bad yourself, Daruk; using one Yiga-idiot to pummel  _ another  _ Yiga-idiot.”

Revali stood next to them, opening his beak to interject, when he was interrupted by Daruk speaking up again, a hearty laugh in his voice.

“Oh, but Link!” He jovially elbowed the Hylian brat, shoving him forward from where he was quietly listening to the conversation. “You really showed them who was boss back there! Taking on Yiga-dolts  _ and  _ Stal monsters? That was some pretty smart stuff you did with that rock-and-banana trap!” 

Link grinned sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. Revali’s feathers fluffed defensively.

“Well,” Revali started, “did you all see how  _ I  _ used the terrain to  _ my  _ advantage? It was--”

“Yes, you certainly showed real promise in strategy, Link.” Zelda smiled at him. Urbosa stood at her side, casually swinging an arm over the Princess’s shoulder before speaking. 

“It was five against one? And you took them out on your own, little Hylian.” Her eyes glittered with mirth. “We could make you a Gerudo warrior sometime yet. Only if we can get you into a veil and sirwal.”

Everyone laughed good-naturedly, completely ignoring Revali. He snarled. 

“It wasn’t  _ that  _ amazing; just dumb luck, like always.” Revali’s voice was scathing. The others quieted, looking at him with befuddled expressions. 

“You don’t have to be such a spoilsport about it,” Daruk said lightly, frowning. 

“We should be grateful for Link’s luck,” Zelda defended him, “It has saved us once again and I am certain it will continue to save us in the future. Maybe you should be more grateful to this ‘dumb luck’, Revali.” 

Revali winced at the pointed way she said his name. He raised himself to his full height, glaring.

_ “Well,”  _ he started, “I guess I better not  _ ruin  _ your fun with how  _ ungrateful  _ I am. Oh no, don’t worry about me--I’ll just be over there, far away from the party, so I can pluck out my  _ singed feathers.” _

If he could do anything, he’d have the last word. Revali turned heel and marched off towards the edge of the cliff. As he got farther away he heard the chatter start up again--hell, they were  _ laughing _ again. He sat down, dangling his legs over the edge, chin resting in his hand. He stared out into the horizon. Alone with nothing but his thoughts. It was so  _ swell  _ being on a  _ team. _

Revali sighed, hand coming up to rub at the bridge of his beak between his eyes. He _ had _ noticed Link growing more and more uncomfortable during the confrontation. The Hylian brat had never liked when the Champions argued. Revali felt sick. Was it...was it really so wrong of him to want to be  _ appreciated?  _

He heard footsteps behind him. Revali refused to see who it was. He hoped it wasn’t Link; he couldn't handle that…. _ quiet acceptance.  _

“Were you lying about your feathers being singed?” It was Mipha. Her voice was carefully neutral. Revali was grateful she wasn’t pitying him. 

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t.” Revali held out his wing. The burns had spread up to his skin under his long flight feathers. It wasn’t a particularly bad burn, but it still stung and Revali wasn’t about to refuse healing. Mipha hummed to herself as she healed him, kneeling next to him.

Revali was...confused as to why she was even bothering. She was clearly sweet on Link. Revali wasn’t stupid; he could see the way she smiled when she looked at him. So he wasn’t sure why she wasn’t over with the rest of them praising him or something. 

(Revali didn’t like thinking about Mipha and Link together--he couldn’t reason why the thought made him so queasy. So he didn’t. He thought about Mipha herself. The way the muscles in her arms and back strained when she threw her trident, how her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the way her jewelry brought attention to her long neck and strong hands. Just….Mipha. She was. Good.)

“Those Yiga clan footsoldiers are very formidable.” Mipha said casually, innocently. Revali’s eyes narrowed, confused. “They do have the habit of swarming when they attack. No honor in six-against-one, especially when armed with fire arrows.” 

Revali blinked. Mipha rubbed her thumb over his wing, eyes still trained on the slowly disappearing injury. 

“Their ambush tactic works to try and push the enemy into a panic--make them less likely to properly think in the heat of battle. They are quite well known for their agility, also. Any warrior capable of being quicker than them would be very talented indeed.”

Mipha finished healing him, but didn’t put his wing down. Revali didn’t try to take it back. 

“Yes, any warrior capable of out-speeding them  _ and  _ keeping his head long enough to steal Yiga intel is a very impressive warrior indeed.”

Mipha looked up. Revali’s heart thudded in his chest as her eyes met his. She stood, dropping his wing from her lap. Revali missed the warmth and steady grip immediately. He felt his embarrassment fluff his feathers as he looked up at her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling sweetly down at him. Then she leaned down. Her lips were soft and smooth against the side of Revali’s beak. They lingered for half a second before she pulled back, her face still so close. 

“You did well today, Revali.” 

Then she was gone, as flowing and graceful as the wind. 

Revali stared at her back as she walked away, hand coming up to rest against his beak where she...oh Hylia, where she  _ kissed him.  _ Revali’s stomach was tied up in knots. He swallowed thickly, wondering if he could still feel the ghost of her warmth.

Revali smiled to himself, watching the sun set over the sea.

Mipha was...something. A very good something.  _ Very _ good indeed. 


End file.
